A meat thermometer is something that I believe is essential to taking the guess work and fear factor out of cooking meat and poultry to perfection.  

There are two different types of thermometers, one has a long stem with the display on top and the other is digital with a probe attached.

All meats have different temperatures that relate to their “doneness”.  To cook meat rare the temperature should register to between 120 degrees and 125 degrees, medium rare is 130 degrees to 135 degrees, etc, turkey, chicken, lamb, pork, all have different “doneness” temperatures. 

To use a thermometer insert it  into the thickest part of the meat and wait for it to reach your desired temperature.

The stem type of thermometer, can have a very large display or a small one.  They can have the temperatures printed on the display or they can be digital.  These types of themometers are not oven safe.  The way to use them is to place the meat in the oven and cook for a period of time, open the oven, pull out the meat and place the thermomter in the thickest part of the meat.  Never stick your hand into a hot oven, learn from my mistakes, it’s not fun.

I love my digital thermometer with probe.  The probe is inserted into the thickest part of the meat and the display sits outside the oven.  Some digital thermometers have all the meat temperatures preset.  Just set the type of meat you are cooking and the doneness you desire and press start, the computer will beep when the meat reaches the correct temperature.  I highly recommed these digital thermometers over of the stem type.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

I know everyone doesn’t have a personal chef or cook fresh meals for themselves every day.  I also know that people will always buy pre-packaged, processed foods.  They are easy and portable and, due to preservatives, stay fresh a long time.  Additives are used in processed foods to make them taste better, look better and have a better mouthfeel.  Unforunately they may also bring about side effects, food allergies, increased waistlines, decreased absorption of minerals and vitamins, cancer and more. With the economy the way it is can we really afford to eat foods that can make us sick?

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

When an ingredient list has the word hydrogenated on it the food has trans-fats which have been linked to heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis and elevated cholesterol.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Garlic is sold in heads or bulbs containing anywhere from 10-20 cloves

Choose garlic bulbs with firm cloves that show no signs of powdery mold, black spots, or green sprouting.  The papery shell should be crisp and crinkly to the touch, tight over the cloves and off-white in color.  The last thing to do when choosing garlic is to smell it, it should have no smell.

Store garlic away from light and moisture.  Unbroken heads can last up to 3 months, separated cloves with last 5-10 days

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

A microplane is along thin razor sharp grater used to zest citrus fruits, hard cheeses, nutmeg, ginger and garlic.  I love mine and use it all the time.  They come in many shapes and sizes, some with handles, some without. 

When using a microplane for zesting citrus fruits, be sure to only take off the colored part of the peel, not any of the white as this part is bitter.  When grating small objects, such as garlic or nutmeg, it is essential to be very careful.  As I mentioned, a microplane is razor sharp, safety is essential.  When using your microplane to grate ginger or garlic keep in mind that these spices become more intense the finer they are cut.  If your recipe calls for 1 clove minced garlic and you are using a microplane, cut back to half the clove first and taste the dish after it has been incorporated.  If more garlic is needed, then simply add more.  Keep in mind, when cooking, you can always add, you can’t take out.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Although asparagus are available all year they are best in season in the spring and early summer 

Select asparagus with tips that are dark green or purple,  tightly closed and show no signs of wrinkling, wilting or drying out.  The stems should be straight and firm.  The thickness of the spear doesn’t affect taste but keep in mind the thicker the stalk the longer the cooking time.  When it comes to the color of asparagus white asparagus are much more mild and the stalks more tender then green

Store asparagus for no longer the 2 days in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Your sharp chef knife is the most important piece of equipment in your kithcen when it comes to getting healthy meals on the table fast and care for your knife is important.  A knife guard is a hard plastic case that fits over the blade of the knife.  If you keep your knife in a drawer where it can get knocked around, I highly suggest you get a knife guard to protect it.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

Although available all year, the season for vine ripened local tomatoes is from July through October. 

Choose tomatoes by smelling the stem end and choosing ones that have a strong, sweet tomato smell, are plump and shiny and have a slight give when pressed.  They should feel heavy for their size and free of soft spots, bruising and blemishes and be vibrant in color.  Avoid tomatoes that look dull and have been refrigerated. Don’t squeeze tomatoes as they have a delicate skin that can bruise easily.

 If your tomatoes aren’t quite ripe yet be sure to store stem side down.  Tomatoes should be stored at a cool room temperature, out of their packaging and used within a few days.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

When you first start cooking, it’s really important to measure all your ingredients according to your recipe.  As time goes on and you become more comfortable, confident and familiar with what different measurements look like, you won’t need to measure as much. 

There are two different types of measuring cups, one for measuring dry ingredients and one for measuring wet ingredients.  Dry cups are separate cups for each measurement.  These come in a set which usually consists of 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup and 1 cup.  Larger sets may include 1/8 cup and 3/4 cup.  Scoop your ingredients into the cups and level off the top with a knife or spatula and you have perfectly measured ingredients.

A wet measuring cup is usually a glass or plastic cup with a handle and a spout used to measure all liquid ingredients no matter the amount.  You’ll notice it has lines across the side with the measurments.  Just fill the cup with your wet ingredient to the line and you have perfectly measured wet ingredients.

It is possible to measure wet ingredients in dry cups, but without a steady hand you’ll make a mess.  I don’t recommend measuring dry ingredients in a wet cup as it’s difficult to get the proper measurement.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.

 Who doesn’t like to save money??  This holiday season I’ve teamed up with a couple of friends to bring you discounts on our services. 

Check out our Holiday Specials to see our specials for cooking lessons, special dinners and holistic nutrition.

Donna Mintz is the owner of Basil & Barbells, Inc., a NYC based personal chef and personal training service that helps busy people fit healthy meals and exercise into their hectic schedules by offering cooking classes, personal training and personal chef services.